Curb stop box



July 16, 1935. F, Q E DUC 2,008,138

` CURB STO? BOX Filed Feb. 15, 1952 um f fm w /f 7 Patented July 16, 1935 .UNirED STATES 2,008,138l CURB sTP Box Fred C. Le Duc, Minneapolis, Minngass'ignor, by mesne assignments, to Western Metal vProducts Company, a corporation of Minnesotavr Application February 13, 1932, Serial No. 592,732

2 claims. (o1. 137-13) i This invention relates to curb stop boxes for municipal water and gas mains. These curb stop boxes are used great numbers oy municipalities, gas and water companies, and it is essential 5 that the original cost of these curb'stop boxes be small and that theV curb stop boxes be so conf structed that they may be maintained in use for long periods of` timev without necessitating expensive replacementrof parts.

It is an object of ythis invention therefore, to provide a novel curb stop box which is inexpensive inoriginal'installation and which can be used `for long periods of time without necessitating 4digging up the box and without necessitating expensive replacement of parts of the box.

It is another object to provide a `curb stopytting so constructed that it will prevent the weight of the entire stop box from falling on the water or gas main in connection with which it is used.

Yet another object is to provide a iitting which will embrace the connector` shoulders of a curb lstop valve tol holdthe sameras a wrench, and thereby prevent injury to the curb stop valve lor to the connections between the water or lgas main and the curb stop valve when the stop box sinuse- Y 4 A further object is to prevent the passage of dirt either upwardly from the curb stopiitting to the main portion of the stopI box above the same, or Afrom the main portion of thestop box to the tting while permitting drainage Vof waterV from the main'po'rtion of the stop box through the litting.

These and otherobjects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the laccompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views, and, in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through a complete stop box installation, the stop box embodying the present` invention being illustrated;

Fig. `2.is a plan View of :the` curb stop tting, thecurb stop valve and the apertured disk taken `substantially' on the line 2-`2 of Fig. 1; o

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3?-3 of Fig. l;

Fig 4 is a plan View of theV head of the box ;r

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the apertured disk' used; and

Fig. 6 is` a vertical sectionthrough the disk taken on the line 6-6 of Fig'. 5, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, there are illustrated portions of two pipe sections 'l .and 'Idof Va water or gas line andothese pipe sections are connected to a curb stop valve Shaving a atbot torn and polygonal-shaped shoulders 8a. One or the shoulders 8a is tapped to receive an end of the pipe section l, whiley theother shoulder is `g5 provided with a projecting nipple 8e `to which H is connecteda reducer sleeve 1b within which an end of the pipe section 'la is received. TheI end of the nipple `8e is beveled as shown and the extreme end of the pipe section 'la is outwardly ilared to bear against the beveled endr of the nipple when the reducer sleeve is drawn tightly on to the nipple. The pipe section 'la is of bronze and of the type now commonly employed as lead in pipe from a water main to a dwelling or other building. The joint formed between the pipe sections 'la and the curb stop Valve .8. is one upon which undue strain cannot be placed without danger of opening the joint. The curb stop valve 8 has an upwardly projecting cylindrical portion Bbthrough which the stern8c of the valvets. The valve is shown as having a flange Bdbelow theV cylindrical portion 8b. The curb stop `valve illustrated is a simple andminexpensiv'e type now commonly employed and the jointbetween the valve andthe pipe section lais also now commonly used. y

In. accordance with the present invention, there is provided a curb stop fitting 9 within which the curb stop valve `8 Vis received. This tting 9 has a closed lower end and upwardly projecting cylindrical side walls which terminate in out.- wardly extending segmental flanges 9a aperturedV `to receiveV nuttd bolts Ill. The bottoni` of the fitting projects outwardly from the side walls thereof to `form a flange 9b,oop'posfite portions of the edges or which are' arcuate in shape and other opposite portions of the edges of, which V`areparfallelgas best shown' in' Fig.` 2. The fitting is, of course,` open at its upper end. Vertical slots ll o are formed in the side walls of :the litting's and these Slots are diametrically oppositely opposed and .they run from the upper edge of the sidewalls of Vthe tting downwardly for a distance greater than the" diarneterof the tappedconnector shoulders of the curb stop valve `81 adapted to be re,- ceived within the fitting. The width of thes'lts II corresponds to the transverse width of fthe connector shoulders 8a of the valve. To` receive theconnector Shoulders 8a, the lower ends Aof the slots'V are shaped'tofcorrespondin conguration to Athe lower portions of the polygonal-'shaped shoulders sa', as best `shown in Fig; 3. The curb stopvalv'e s nts within the fitting# with the shoulders 8d projecting through the slots I, shown, 55

PATENT. OFFICE and the edges of the walls of the iitting adjacent f valve.

An apertured disk I3 closes theopeningat the top of the tting 9 and has a projecting flange I3@ at its top which rests on the upper edge of the ,Y

diskY I3 and the disk serves to center the stop valve 8 within tting 9. Y The lower pipe section I4 of ajpairof telescoping` pipe sections I4 and I5 respectively, rests on thevupper flanged end ofthe curb stop ttingg and has an outturned flange at its lower end secured tothe iianges 9a of the fitting by means oi the nutted bolts Il). It should perhaps be here mentioned that the nutted bolts vI!) are constructed of bronze or some similar material which will'not rust. The lower end of the lower pipe section I4 is internally rabbeted as shown in Fig. l, to receive the flange i3d of the apertured disk I 3V and it will thus be seen that 'the disk I3 preventslrelative movement between the pipe section I4 and the curb stop fitting 9. The upper portion o f the lower pipe section I4 is narrowed as illustrated, and at its upper end the lower section' is provided with a grooved head in .whichis seated a cushion treated packing gland I6 for maintaining a tight joint between the lower section I4 and the upper section I5 which is received within the lower section.

' j Secured to therupper end of the upper section I adjacent the ground level is a housing cornposedjof several parts. The main or body portion of this housing consists of a head I'l having a bottom from which extends a downwardly pro- 'jecting sleeve like portion lla screw threaded to receive the upper end of the upper pipe section I5.

'A vertical iiange rises from the edges of the bottom of the head I1. Thebottom of the head Il rhas a central circular aperture therein immediately above the upper pipe section I5 and the walls I'lb of the head adjacent this aperture llare i upwardly and outwardly to receive and support a nut I8 shaped to't the aperture and having upwardly and outwardly flaring walls Ia. The vertical iiange of the head I1 is provided with a recess llcextending into the flange from the inner side thereof and within thisrecess is received a lug I8b projecting from the body of the nut I8. A cover I9 rests within the vertical flange of the head II upon the nut I8 and the bottom of the head and this cover has a projecting lug I9a which fits within a second recess Ilb in the vertical iiange of the head above and di- The nut ing is formed in the cover I'I above the opening in'thenut. A bolt 20 has a polygonal-shaped head received within a recess within the top of the cover I9 and this bolt projects through the opening in the cover I9 and has screw-threaded engagement with the tapped opening in the nut I8. The nut I'and the bolt 2D are preferably 'formed of bronze or similar rust resisting mate- `rial.

Preferably above the lug I9a of the cover,

vportions of the slots II.

the cover is provided'with a straight surface which engages with a straight surface formed at the inner side of the flange of the head I'I.

The two telescop'ing pipe sections I4 and I5 of the stop box permit adjustment of thelength of the stop box to meet varying conditions. As the portions of the curb stop fitting 9 adjacent the connector shoulders 8a of the curb stop valve, hold the curb stop valve as a wrench, the curb stop valve cannot be sprung as the pipe sections 'I and 'la are connected thereto and as the valve stem Bcof the valve' is turned, no strain will be imposed upon the pipe sections l or 'Ia to tend to loosen the connections between these pipe sections and the curb stop valve. When the fitting 9 is vfirst inserted in place, it will be located as shown in Fig. l with the connector shoulder 8a of the curb stop valve 8 disposed within the lower In this position it will be seen thatthe weight of the stop box is not imposed upon the curb stop valve or theV water or gas line. As the dirt about the fitting settles,V the entire curb stop box or, at least, that portion of the same from the lower pipe section I 4 down-f wardly may move downwardly relative toA the curb stop valve 8 without imposing the weight of the curb stop box upon the curb stop valve or line. The slots I I permit'this movement.

The apertured disk I3 vin addition to centering the curb stop valve in the fitting 9 and preventing relative movement between the fitting and the lower pipe section I5, prevents the passage orf dirt downwardly from the lower pipe section I4 to the tting 9, while permitting the drainage oi water from the lower pipe lsection to the fitting and it also prevents the Vpassage of dirt upwardly from the fitting 9 to the lower pipe section I5. As the fitting 9 is closed at its lower end, dirt cannotV accumulate between the bottom of the curb stop valve and the lower Vwall of thetting to permit Ydrainage of water therefrom. y

By provision of the nut I8 engaging with the bolt 20, it is seen that the housing at the top of the stop box may be effectively closed without using a bolt which is screw threaded in either the head I I orl theA cover I9. As the bolt 2|] and nut I8 are composed of bronze, there iswno tendency for these parts'to rust together after continued usage. Ify the threads in the nut I8 or on the bolt 20 become damaged at any time,

either or both of Vthese parts Vcan be replaced with but slight expense without necessitating replacement of either head I1 or cover I9.

It will b e seen that an extremely simple, inexpensive and efficient curb stop ,box has been provided., Y l i j K Y l. Itwill, of course, be understood thatvarious changes may be made in the form, details,`ar, rangements and proportions of the various parts without departing vfrom the scope ofthe present invention, which generally Ystated consistsin `the matter shown and described and dened. in the appendedv claims.V f

What is claimed isz--` 1. 'I'he combination with a curb stop box, of a curb stop tting having an open `upper end connected to said box and adapted to receive a curb stop valve therein, an apertured disk mounted and held from movement between the upper end of said fitting and said box and through the aperture in which the curb stop valve is adapted to project, said disk acting to center the curb stop valve in the fitting and to prevent the passage of dirt either upwardly from said fitting to said box or downwardly from said box to said tting and at the same time permitting Water to drain from said box into said tting.

2. The combination with a curb stop box, of a, curb stop fitting comprising a casing closed at its lower end and open at its upper end, said casing being adapted to receive a curb stop valve having polygonal-shaped connector shoulders,

said casing being slotted from its upper end downwardly at diametrically opposite points to receive and hold as a wrench the polygonalshaped connector shoulders of the curb stop Valve, said slots being of such length as to permit of limited relative vertical movement between said fitting and said curb stop valve, an apertured disk resting upon the upper portion of said curb stop Iitting and adapted to encircle the upper portion of the curb stop valve to form with the upper portion of the curb stop valve a closure for the upper portion of said fitting, and a curb stop box secured to the upper end of said iitting said fitting and box including means preventing movement of said disk upwardly and downwardly relative to said fitting.

FRED c. LE DUC. 

